Surgical needle



MILTON I-I. LOWE, OF JEFFERSONVILLE, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TOTHEO RUSSELL, OF WEST BADEN, INDIANA.

SURGICAL NEEDLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 604,119, dated May 17,1898.

Application filed October '7 1 8 9 7.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MILTON H. LOWE, a citizen of the United States,residing at J effersonville, in the county of Clarke and State ofIndiana, have invented a new and useful Surgical Needle, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in needles especially adapted forsurgical pur poses, although it may beused for other purposes the sameas ordinary needles; and the primary object that I have in view is toprovide an improved construction of the needle by which a single lengthof thread may be carried by the needle instead of doubling the thread,as is necessary in the ordinary form of needle.

A further object of the invention is to construct the needle in apeculiar manner to enable the thread attached or connected to the needleto be housed within the eye thereof, so as not to leave any projectingparts,thereby providing for the passage of the needle and thread througha wound or the flesh to the best advantage; and a further object of theinvention is to provide an improved construction by which the thread maybe easily and quickly passed through the eye, so that the thread may beeasily attached and disconnected, as desired.

To the accomplishment of these ends my invention consists of a needlethe butt-end of which is tapered from the thread-eye toward theextremity of the needle-shank, a longitudinal bore or passage throughthe butt-end of the needle-shank, a transverse notch in the needle-shanksituated in advance of the bore or passage, forming a broad abruptshoulder across the plane of the bore and having a guide-face whichextends in an inclined direction outwardly from a point at one side ofthe bore or passage to the outer face of the needleshank, and a groovein said inclined face and arranged in the plane of the bore or passagein the butt of the needle-shank, all as will be hereinafter fullydescribed and claimed.

To enable others to understand myinvention, I have illustrated thepreferred embodiment thereof in the accompanying'drawings,

Serial No- 654,459. (No model.)

forming a part of this specification, and in which Figure 1 is anelevation, on an enlarged scale, of my improved needle, looking at thenotched face thereof. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional viewon the plane indicated by the dotted line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is across-sectional view on the plane indicated by the dotted line 3 3 ofFig. 1 and looking in the direction indicated by the arrow. Fig. 4 is asectional view similar to Fig. 2 and showing a thread connected to the1011- gitudinal eye of the needle. Figs. 5 and 6 are enlarged views, inplan andsection, of another embodiment, illustrating a groove in theneedle.

Like numerals of reference denote corresponding parts in all the figuresof the drawlngs. Referring now by numerals to the drawings, 1 designatesthe needle, which in all respects save the butt-end and the eye issimilar to needles of ordinary construction. I have shown the needlewith a straight shank orshaft terminating in a point 2; but it will beunderstood that I do not restrict myself to this particular type of theneedle, because the shank may terminate in a curved pointed extremity,or any desired form may be given to the shank.

The shank or shaft of the needle is formed with a notch 3 and alongitudinal bore or eye 4,.which notch and eye or bore are formed inthe head or buttend of the needle. The notch is formed by cutting away apart of the needle from one side or face thereof, so as to produce aninclined face or bottom to the notch, said inclined face or bottom beingindicated by the numeral 5. The inclined or sloping face 5 of the recessterminates at a point beyond the longitudinal axis of the shank in orderto enable the front end of the bore or eye 4; to open through the needlefor the passage of the thread.

The butt-end of the needle is solid or integral with the shank, and thisbuttend is slightly enlarged from the butt-end toward the notch 3 in theshank.

The butt of the needle terminates adjacent to the notch in an abruptshoulder, (indicated at 6,) and this shoulder constitutes a seat uponwhich the knotted end of the single thread may bear. The bore or eye 4Opens through the butt end of the needle and through the shoulder 6, andthus both ends of the bore or eye are exposed for the free passage ofthe thread.

A longitudinal groove '7 is provided in the inclined face 5 of thenotch, as shown by Figs. 5 and 6. This groove 7 is in the plane of thebore or passage and it partakes of the inclination of said face 5, sothat the groove inclines from the bottom side of the bore toward theouter face of the needle-shank. Said groove facilitates the passage ofthe thread through the bore, and it enables the thread to be passedconveniently through either end of said bore or passage.

In threading the needle one end of the strand or thread 7 is passedthrough the bore or eye at the butt of the needle,and the thread ispushed through the bore in the direction of the length of the needle.The advancing end of the thread passes through the bore and the abruptshoulder 6, and the end of the thread is deflected by the inclined faceor bottom 5 of the notch, so that the front end of the thread may easilybe grasped and knotted, as at 8. The thread is now drawn back in orderto withdraw its front knotted end into the notch or recess, and so as tohave said knot 8 abut against the shoulder 6, which thus forms a seatfor the knot. The knotted end of the single thread is thus disposed tolie, practically, within the surface of the needle, so as to avoidhaving any part thereof project or protrude beyond the cylindrical faceof the needle. The knotted front end of the single strand or thread isseated firmly against the needle, the thread is not liable to pull outof the needle or become accidentally disconnected therefrom, and thisend is attained, furthermore, by arranging the knotted end of the threadpractically flush with the needle, so that it will pass readilytherewith through the flesh.

As before stated, the needle may be used for sewing purposes generally,although it is especially adapted for use by surgeons in sewing wounds.

I contemplate making the needle in different sizes and shapes, and Iwould therefore have it understood that I reserve the right to make suchmodifications and alterations in the form and proportion of parts as maybe suggested by a manufacturer or by a skilled mechanic.

A double thread is particularly objectionable in a surgical needle,particularly in intestinal operations and in sewing wounds around theears and eyes, where a double thread would come in contact with arteriesor leaders running to the eye, sometimes causing the loss of sight andhearing.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

A surgical needle having its butt-end tapered from the thread-notch tothe rear extremity thereof, a transverse notch in said shank adjacent tothe tapered butt and forming an inclined face, 5, and an abruptshoulder, 6, which constitutes a seat for a knotted thread, an axialbore or passage in the butt and opening into the notch at one side ofthe inclined face thereof, and a groove on the inclined face of thenotch and arranged in line with the axial bore or passage, substantiallyas described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

. MILTON II. LOWE.

WVitnesses:

ZACK PHELPs, M. E. MoLoUGHLIN.

